JOINT RELEASE: Trio of Bills to Support Veterans and Their Families Go Into Effect
Democrats championed a host of legislation during the 2025 legislative session to support military-connected Coloradans
DENVER, CO – Three laws spearheaded by Colorado Democrats to support Colorado’s veterans and their families will go into effect August 6, 2025.
HB25-1132, sponsored by Senators Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo, and Jeff Bridges, D-Arapahoe County, and Representatives Sean Camacho, D-Denver, and Rebekah Stewart, D-Lakewood, allows funding allocated through Proposition KK, approved by voters last November, to fund eligible non-profit organizations that offer community-based mental health services to veterans and their families. To be eligible, organizations must offer evidence-based practices, provide proper competency training to staff and have established verifiable community partnerships. The bill also expands veterans’ access to complementary services, such as acupuncture and massage therapy, by directing available funds to providers.
“Since my time in the Army, I’ve become intimately familiar with the critical need for community-focused mental health services for veterans,” Hinrichsen said. “Our veterans and their families gave everything they had to protect and serve our country, and they deserve all the life-saving support we can give in return.”
“As a member of the Air Force, I have seen firsthand how military veterans and their families can struggle to access proper health care for their behavioral health issues,” said Camacho. “Voters approved Prop KK to boost funding for crime victim programs, public safety grants, and behavioral health crisis services just like the one this law funds. Military members and veterans need quality health care, and this law will boost lifesaving behavioral health support for Colorado heroes and their loved ones by implementing the will of the voters.”
“Too many of our state’s veterans struggle with PTSD, anxiety, and other life-altering mental health conditions without access to proper treatment,” Bridges said. “Voters approved Prop KK, which boosts funding for crime victim programs, public safety grants, and behavioral health services like the ones supported by this bill. This legislation provides crucial support for our service members while implementing the will of the voters.”
“Far too many military members and veterans suffer from PTSD, anxiety, and other behavioral health struggles that impact their day-to-day life without the proper treatment,” said Stewart. “With this law going into effect, we can fund community behavioral health programs and other beneficial services, improving access to the behavioral health care that veterans and their families deserve.”
HB25-1132 follows a law passed by Colorado Democrats referring a ballot measure to voters in the November 2024 election to create a new excise tax on the sale of firearms sold by gun dealers, gun manufacturers, and ammunition vendors to fund the Colorado Crime Victim Services Fund, Behavioral Health Administration, and school safety efforts. Nearly 54.5 percent of Colorado voters approved Prop KK to bolster crime victim support and behavioral health programs.
SB25-073, sponsored by Senator Janice Marchman, D-Loveland, and Rep. Matthew Martinez, D-Monte Vista, clarifies that Colorado students with disabilities who are children of active duty military members are entitled to the same rights to open enrollment and guaranteed matriculation as any student who lives in the public school district. It also requires school districts and charter schools to ensure those students receive the appropriate services.
“Changing schools and hopping from one military base to the next is difficult enough, and a lack of timely access to disability services exacerbates those difficulties tenfold,” said Marchman. “No child should be deprived of access to the educational pathways they need because of their background or ability. This law gives them the support they need to seize every opportunity available to them and ensure every student has the potential to succeed.”
“As a veteran and an educator, I’m excited that our new law is going into effect to break down barriers to education for students in military families,” said Martinez. “It’s very common for military families to move around every few years, and students suffer when unnecessary administrative delays prevent them from accessing the programs they need to succeed. I’m proud to have sponsored this bipartisan law that will streamline the process for military-connected children with disabilities to transition into Colorado schools to better support students and their families.”
SB25-282, sponsored by Senator Matt Ball, D-Denver, and Representative Lisa Feret, D-Arvada, protects veterans from unaccredited consultants, often called “claim sharks,” who charge money to help navigate the application process to receive benefits from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA).
The law mirrors regulations the federal government uses to regulate Social Security benefits from the Social Security Administration. It requires that businesses must unambiguously notify veterans that they can receive the same services for free from the DMVA, clearly state that they are not affiliated with the DMVA, and limit the amount of money consultants can receive from veterans’ back pay.
“Too often, those who have bravely served our country are misled into paying thousands of dollars in fees and even going into debt for services they receive for free from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs,” Ball said. “Without preventing honest consultants in the industry from doing business, this law will address the backlog in claims from the DMVA while cracking down on bad actors who mislead and defraud our nation’s veterans.”
"My fellow veterans deserve fair and safe access to services that help them get benefits they earned through their service and sacrifice for our country,” said Feret. “‘Claim sharks’ rake in millions of dollars each year from excessive fees on service members' disability claims, sometimes when they don't even win. Our law helps create guidelines in this unregulated space to protect disabled veterans while allowing companies to address the backlog of disability claims. I will not back down as dark money groups try to scam veterans who put their lives on the line for our country."